Jared is also in charge of bringing peace to the Middle East. (sobs into coffee)

She is absolutely not.

THIS. I am trying to arrange visits to my local schools to talk about red flags—and the ‘he loves me so much he just wants to be with me allll the time’ shit starts in middle school. It’s controlling and isolating and is definitely not ‘love’ but when you’re 13, wtf do you know? In the case of my abuse, I was in my…

‘Pretty enough’ means he went for my face, first, to wreck it. And on purpose.

Absolutely! I went back to my city’s DV court because I had literally blacked out most of my meetings there (adrenaline, fear, puking in public bathrooms). I’m writing a book, and I needed to be able to physically describe the building. I sat in on the morning session and while most people did not show up (which is…

I also—don’t know if ‘like’ is the right word—appreciate how the main characters are involved in crimes themselves—or at least just fallible humans. Benson is kidnapped and raped. Rollins is a gambling addict with a very messed-up sister she enables. Ice-T’s son’s husband is the victim of a hate crime for being gay…

My dad (a lawyer) and I have faithfully watched all the Law and Orders (mostly so he can yell at the TV: You have to ask a question! That’s leading the witness! which I find funny).

((DV survivor) I’d also add the woman might be concentrating on her upcoming family,and possibly more likely to ignore red flags which would have sent off alarm bells if she weren’t pregnant. 

I’m so glad you had an awesome movie night. xo to all!

Wow. Please tell her, however it makes sense to do, that 13 is basically the worst year and everything after is a super upswing. Get rid of Instagram and get her a library card? You sound like an awesome human,

Wow. This makes me want to cry. First in rage, second because you handled it so well.

https://ccwtx.org/

She should not contact anyone about this on her phone or her computer. Women are more likely to be killed when leaving and he is likely monitoring her devices.. Can she use the library, or a friend’s phone without raising suspicion? (Survivor here.) (It is awesome she has you.)

It honestly gets better. You will feel better, sleep better, look better, smell better, act better toward others. If you slip up, do not beat yourself up! Remind yourself how many 24 hours you have. Take advantage of every support system you have.

Not if there is a custody battle over a 2 year old is involved. The greatest punishment for a woman leaving you? Take her kid.

DVC court, at least in IL, has a very different burden of proof to bring a case before a judge than civil/criminal court. The judge, here can say an Outright Nope!, require you return with more evidence, of grant the Order of Protection on the spot. I sat through many (other) cases where it was basically exes going at…

No, he had a bunch. Both non-fiction and fiction.

You forgot women.

As a survivor who published in a major newspaper about my abuse, my ‘due process’ involved having tons of evidence. Photos, police reports, text messages, emails (because the idiot was stupid enough to put almost everything in writing—the hubris!) and, of course, my Order of Protection. To get that, in my state, I…

Updike is already dead. That completes the misogynist trifecta for now.